


last night, the dream

by loveless_klark



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Cuddling & Snuggling, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/F, Fluff, Go-Sci Ring, How Do I Tag, Hurt/Comfort, Platonic Cuddling, Post-Praimfaya, Post-Season/Series 04, sure jan
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-22
Updated: 2021-02-22
Packaged: 2021-03-19 09:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,574
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29624496
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/loveless_klark/pseuds/loveless_klark
Summary: Echo had always been cold.It wasn’t custom among Azgedans to show their affection. Most people never heard an ‘I love you’ in theirlife. Even among mates, the only intimacy shared was sexual. True affection didn’t exist.Echo had never really felt a need for such affection. After all, how could you miss what you’ve never had?~or where echo is overwhelmed by spacekru's affection and raven helps her to adjust
Relationships: Echo/Raven Reyes
Comments: 4
Kudos: 14





	last night, the dream

**Author's Note:**

> this is just me practicing writing for echo sdjfklsdfs
> 
> sooooo theres a _lot_ of backstory in this, or well, technically it isnt that much but for a 1.5k oneshot its a lot. but theres also recho hurt/comfort. because it is impossible for me to not write hurt/comfort
> 
> so enjoy my first attempt at writing echo <<3

Echo had always been cold.

The word ‘cold’ has multiple meanings.

Quite literally, she was  _ cold _ . She lived in the high norths of Azgeda. Snow was a constant that far up. Warmth was but a dream there, even in the comfort of your own home.

On another hand, Echo was  _ cold _ . She showed no emotion. She’d had people describe her as ruthless before, the perfect assassin. She hadn’t always been like that. But it was who she was now.

But Echo was also  _ cold _ .

It wasn’t custom among Azgedans to show their affection. Most people never heard an ‘I love you’ in their  _ life _ . Even among mates, the only intimacy shared was sexual. True affection didn’t exist.

Echo had never really felt a need for such affection. After all, how could you miss what you’ve never had?

She had always looked away from the displays of affection she saw between other clans, especially Skaikru, who she noted were far more touchy than any other clans. She didn’t understand why they had to show their emotions so openly. It was a weakness. And Echo was anything but weak.

_ I am not weak _ .

_ I am  _ **_not_ ** _ weak. _

Echo was never weak.

But as fire raged over Polis, trapping her to a fate she didn’t want, Echo felt  _ helpless _ .

And she  _ hated _ feeling helpless.

Echo told herself the reason she put the sword to her chest was because she refused to live without her  _ kru _ , away from her homeland.

But that wasn’t the real reason.

In reality, she was  _ scared _ .

She was scared to live and she was scared to die.

But Bellamy extended an offer to her she couldn’t refuse. The same man who saved her from Mount Weather, who she then proceeded to betray and betray, offered her a chance to live, alongside him. Offered her his  _ trust _ , despite all she’d done to him.

And that? That was the first time Echo thought that maybe the Skaikru’s idea of love wasn’t entirely pointless.

Echo was ushered onto a rocket ship, doomed to live her life in space for the next five years with people who were her enemies barely a few days ago. But they weren’t enemies anymore. Echo watched them struggle to rein in their emotions as they lost one of their own, watched Bellamy break down over the loss of his apparently-not-mate, and she almost found the depth of their love endearing. Their love was a weakness, but at the same time, it  _ did  _ make them stronger. She was starting to see that.

They almost died.

But they didn’t.

And then suddenly everything was calm.

The Skaikru organized rations, assigned rooms, started up the systems on this strange machine they called the ring. Echo stayed out of the way, helping when asked to, but otherwise nothing. It was… strange. She wasn’t sure she liked it. The peace almost seemed too good to be true. Echo was on edge, waiting for it to crack.

But it  _ didn’t _ .

And much to her surprise, it wasn’t as lonely as she’d feared. The Skaikru made sure to include her. They’d force her to eat dinner with them every day, though she wasn’t at all complaining. They were a family already, but they still tried to make her feel like she was a part of them. 

If she was being honest, it was more effort than anyone had ever put into her.

It was… it was so much.

Too much.

Echo wasn’t sure she could handle it.

Emotions had always been foreign. Always, always. But these Skaikru, they had  _ so much of it _ , and Echo could feel it. She could feel the emotion welling up inside her, emotions she’d never felt before, emotions she’d always been told were weakness. And she didn’t know how to handle it.

She handled it the only way she knew how to.

Escaping into a section of the ring she’d never before been into, Echo wandered aimlessly, letting herself settle. She hoped they wouldn’t find her here. She needed to catch her breath. They were just so much, she couldn’t- she couldn’t.

There was an observatory window covering the entire wall of one of the rooms. The vast emptiness made her feel sick to her stomach. But she stayed, because the discomfort was better than anything else.

Echo settled herself on the floor, forehead pressed against the glass, and just let herself  _ be _ . Allowed her thoughts to drift, her body to find a comfortable rhythm.

_ Footsteps in the corridor. _

Echo tensed, biting her cheek to keep the displeased frown off her face.

By the tread of their feet, she could tell it was one of the Skaikru girls. The one with the brace. Raven. She ignored her as she slid down beside her, slightly surprised when she said not a word, only sat there. Allowing Echo to have time while knowing someone was there. She was grateful for it.

Finally, Echo cleared her throat. “I’m not coming to dinner today.”

“I figured.” Raven shifted, her brace clicking loudly against the metal floor. “You sick of us yet?”

Echo shrugged. She was, a bit. But she wouldn’t admit it.

“You don’t have to entertain their ‘family mealtime’ fantasy, you know. If you don’t want to come you don’t have to. You’re allowed to make your own choices up here.”

_ You’re allowed to make your own choices. _

Echo scoffed. “I’ve never been allowed to do that. Would you really want an assassin freely roaming your ship?”

“You forget that you saved us, from those Trikru. If you wanted us dead then saving us was a stupid move.”

Echo snorted, shifting to look at the other girl. Raven looked more serious than Echo had ever seen her since they’d  arrived on the ring. She looked- concerned. But that couldn’t be right.

Raven reached out to rest a hand on Echo’s arm. “Are you okay?”

The feel of skin on skin burned her in the most pleasant of ways. Echo sighed, leaning slightly into it. She’d never been asked that before. She knew that the Skaikru liked to talk about their feelings, but Echo, she never had. She didn’t know how.

Raven seemed to sense her struggle. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

And that was the question, wasn’t it? Did she  _ want  _ to? Did she want to let herself be weak, let these people in? She had five years left to live alongside them, did she want them to know her so intimately?

But… it would be nice to have a family.

“I- I do,” she mumbled, her skin prickling uncomfortably as she tried to find the right words. “I’m just not used to it, is all.”

“To space? Or to us?”

Echo shrugged. “Both.” Looking down to where Raven was still touching her, Echo moved to reach out with her other hand, hesitantly brushing her fingertips over Raven’s skin. “This is new to me. I don’t know what to do.”

Raven shifted closer, her other hand folding over Echos. “You mean....”

“The- the affection,” she clarified. “The touching.”

Raven squeezed her hand. “I get that. Growing up, my mom never showed me any kind of affection. It was hard to adjust to. But it gets better, I promise.”

“How do you do it?” Echo whispered. “How can you just- open yourself to people? Are you not afraid?”

“Afraid? No, not afraid.” Raven shrugged. “I guess sometimes, yeah, but what’s the worst that could happen? They can’t hurt me with it. They can try, but I don’t care.” Raven softened. “Besides, I’d say I trust you enough.”

“Trust me?  _ Why _ ?”

Raven looked at her with such worry Echo felt her stomach churn. “Why is it so hard for you to believe that I trust you? That  _ we  _ trust you?” Raven tightened her hold on Echo’s hand. “You’re right, I don’t have much reason to trust you. But I trust you anyway. Because I  _ believe in you _ , Echo. I believe you want to do good here. And I want to give you that chance.”

Echo felt warmth flood through her, and let a small smile slip onto her lips. “I do want to do good here. You all- you’re a family. You care for each other. I- I want that.”

Raven nodded. “You can have it. If you want it, you can have it. I’d be more than happy to have you with us.”

“Even though I was Azgeda? Even though I almost got your people killed?”  
“In the past.” Raven shrugged. “You’re here with us now. That’s what matters.”

Echo felt her throat closing up, so she just nodded. Beside her, Raven dropped her head down onto Echo’s shoulder, and she tensed for barely a moment before relaxing into the warmth. Resting her cheek on Raven’s hair, she stared into the emptiness of space, fingers tangled with the other girl.

And she was  _ happy _ .

“Thank you,” Echo whispered, when she finally felt like she could speak without spilling a tear. “Thank you for giving me a chance.”

“You’re family now, Echo,” Raven murmured. “I’ll give you as many chances as you need.”

Echo sniffled. She still refused to cry in the presence of someone else, refused to show just how deep her emotions ran, but it was a work in progress. One step at a time. She’d get there, eventually.

Raven’s fingers flexed around hers, and Echo knew.

She’d be okay.

**Author's Note:**

> come visit me on tumblr at [lovelessdyke](https://lovelessdyke.tumblr.com)!! prompts are always welcome <<3


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